1. Medications
How’s this for a kick in the teeth? It turns out that some medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis increase your cancer risk. Similarly, certain meds used to treat cancer can cause arthritis. There are even a couple of drugs that are used to treat both conditions!
Some of the drugs in question are NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) meds, and corticosteroid injections. DMARDs (disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) have been linked to cancers of the bladder and urinary tract, as well as lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. There is some debate about this link, but be sure to ask your doctor about an increased cancer risk before starting any new arthritis medication.